The Motif Of A Fence In August Wilson's Fences

Fences are designed to protect a property by keeping people or things out. The obverse of this is to keep things or people in. In August Wilson’s Fences, the motif of a fence saturates the work, hence the title. The motif refers to both senses of the use of a fence. Some of the characters in the play build proverbial fences to keep other characters out of their life. However, as in the case of Rose, she builds her fences to keep her family in, so she never has to let go. The motif of the fences develops the character of Rose throughout the play.

In the opening lines of Act I, scene two, Rose is singing a song: “Jesus, be a fence around me everyday. Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way.” (21). In this song, Rose is asking Jesus to be her fence, to protect her from evil. In the first scene, it is stated that Rose had four options for her life, and from those, she chooses the Church, and to marry Troy. Rose fears being alone. Even after Troy cheats on her with Alberta and as a product of this, they have a child. Rose does not divorce Tory. She is so afraid of being alone that she does not leave Troy after he has committed the unforgivable.

The development of Rose through the motif of the fences continues into the next act when Jim Bono and Troy are having one of their final conversations.

Bono says to Troy, “Some people build fences to keep people out... and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold onto you all.” (61). Bono is describing to Troy what he has been missing about his wife. She loves him [Troy] and Cory, and she wants to keep those two with her forever. As previously discussed, Rose fears the pain of being alone. She wants to keep her son and her husband with her as long as she can. And after Cory leaves for college and Troy dies, she is left with Raynell. But she is not

alone.
Rose believes there are four choices for an African-American woman: one, a succession of abusive men and their babies; two, a life of partying and running the streets; three, the Church; or four, aloneness and its attendant pain. Rose chooses the Church and to marry Troy. Rose’s biggest fear is the fourth choice, being alone. Rose does not divorce Troy after he cheats on her and Rose does not let the tiny Raynell become an orphan. She tries so hard through the entire play to keep her family together, but eventually, her efforts are repaid with a collapse. Troy cheats on her, breaks her heart, and dies. Cory was kicked out of the house seven years before Troy’s death. Cory appears on the day of his father’s funeral wearing a Marine Corps uniform. He refuse to attend the funeral but Rose talks him out of it because she still fears being alone. Rose’s fears force her to not divorce her unfaithful husband. She does not want to have to bear that kind of pain. She raises Raynell so that Raynell will not be alone.
The motif of the fence appears many times throughout the play. Rose’s struggle with wanting to keep everyone in so she doesn’t have to be alone exemplifies how the motif develops her character. Bono tries to explain this to Troy but he does not listen. And Rose’s song helps to develop the character of Rose and the motif of the fences. August Wilson named this play Fences, this was no mistake, seeing as how fences are one of the key focal points of the play.